


Levi's Backstory

by Wendino



Series: Cryptic Patrol [1]
Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:48:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24908656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wendino/pseuds/Wendino
Series: Cryptic Patrol [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1802413
Kudos: 1





	Levi's Backstory

Levi liked his life. He liked his friends, Lucas and Kain. He liked his jobs and his coworkers. He liked the stability and the power boost he was given while working under the Commander. Levi was content with his lot in life, but he was one of the few who also remembered his life before all that. He hadn’t really thought about how different his upbringing had been compared to the others. 

Most had come from poor conditions, while others had some harsh turning point that drove them to join TC’s ever expanding army. Levi though, his situation was never that drastic or tumultuous. After hearing the sob stories of the others who joined up, Levi decided it was better to keep his story quiet and claim amnesia. The others chalked it up to either his background being so traumatic he’d repressed it during the injection process, or that he’d been reset so often it was just lost, and Levi never bothered to correct them. After all, who would want to willingly join some masked weirdo and his murder cult instead of spending his days happily content with his family? Who would willingly want to leave the quiet farmer’s life their father had worked so hard for? Who would willingly want to leave behind a loving mother and doting siblings, in exchange for risking life and limb for people who would backstab their teammates without a second thought if it meant a promotion? Levi smiled to himself as he glanced at an old photo hidden away in a notebook. Who would do something so silly?  
______________

He could remember that day clearly. The weather had been warm and sunny, with a gentle breeze and not a single cloud for miles. On days like that, Levi liked to go up the hill and watch the goings on around him. 

His mother always told him he had special eyes, eyes that saw more than most and that could pick out even the smallest detail. His father would always laugh and say she was spoiling him before ruffling his hair. Not that Levi minded of course, he liked his parents. They were kind folk, never bothered anyone and always happy to lend a helping hand. Levi liked to help too, and was always trying to help his father and brothers in the field during harvest season. He would always get distracted though, and they would send him off to go play while they finished. That was how Levi had found his favorite spot on the hill. It was quiet, undisturbed, and one could see out for miles without interference.

He had been on his way up to the hill when he spotted a lone figure in his usual spot. Something about the stranger felt off, and Levi couldn’t quite put his finger on it until he saw the stranger’s clothes. He spoke up so as not to startle the man.

“Hey Mister! You seem like you’re not from around here, are you lost?” The stranger barely acknowledged his presence, but Levi was sure he caught a brief look of surprise in the man’s face. Levi walked a little closer.

“Sorry if I spooked you at all, just wanted to make sure you were ok!” Now that he was closer, Levi could see that the man was definitely not local. He was too tall for one, like a human skyscraper, and his clothing was weird in a ‘this guy either got left by the renaissance fair or runs a military cult’. He came to stand next to the stranger without a care in the world and smiled.

“It's a nice view, huh? You can see for miles and miles, plus it’s usually quiet… I kinda killed that by being up here with you though haven’t I?” He looked up at the tall man, still smiling. The tall stranger huffed what sounded like a laugh and Levi knew he had an in.

“You any good with that sword, sir?” The stranger looked down at Levi curiously.

“As good as I have to be… How did you know I was carrying a sword?”

“It's your stance, plus I saw you adjust your grip as I was walking over.”

“You managed to see my movement from that far away?” Levi nodded.

“Mama says I have special eyes! I can see things most people can’t, like the fact that someone’s on their way over here from the direction you probably came from. He’s not in armor though, at least not armor like yours.” Levi paused as the stranger raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for him to continue.  
“He’s got white-hair if that means anything to you.” Levi clarified, and the stranger nodded.

“Your mother is correct, you are very observant.” Levi puffed up proudly under the praise, then remembered his manners.

“Thank you sir! My name is Levi by the way!” He held his hand out to the tall stranger, who looked at him warily, before taking the boys hand to shake it.

“I am called the Commander. Now I suggest you run on home little one. I would also appreciate it if you didn’t mention my being here” Levi smiled and nodded, running off back towards his family's farm house. He paused halfway down the hill and looked back to where the stranger had been, only to find himself alone. 

“The Commander, huh? Definitely not a renaissance fair actor then…”

Levi made the effort to go back to the hill to try and find the stranger again, but pouted when he couldn't. Of course the most interesting thing to happen to him was a one off event, or so he thought until he saw a trail of footprints too big to be his own leading away from the hill. Levi smiled and ran off after the trail. He had to pause at a few spots, but was eventually able to find the end of the trail as it led into a clearing. He looked around in confusion, and was ready to admit defeat when he noticed something weird about one of the tracks. Upon closer inspection, it looked as if the one print was cleanly cut off halfway through. Levi stepped closer and stared at it, then at the rest of the clearing in front of him. As if driven by an unseen force, Levi reached in front of him with one hand. He hadn't expected to actually feel something there, and jerked his hand back. He watched the space he’d just touched ripple a bit, reminding him of water almost.

“Well that's special…”  
“Who are you?” Levi jumped a bit and turned to see the white-haired man from before, along with some kid who couldn't be much older than himself glaring at him with open hostility.

“Ah, s-sorry! Is this your air bubble thing?? Sorry, I was just looking for someone and I thought the prints were his and then they stopped suddenly and- wait, you're the guy that was with him before!” Levi’s fear was quickly replaced with enthusiasm. White-hair and the kid looked confused but still guarded.

“Ahh what was his name…. Captain? No… OH! He said he was the Commander I think!! Yea that was it!” White-hair had a look of recognition flash across his face briefly, while the kid looked more tense.

“You were the one on the hill that day, weren’t you? Didn’t he tell you to go back to your family?” Levi nodded, then rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Yea that's me… I couldn’t help but look for him again after that cuz it’s pretty boring around here, plus I’d sometimes see him on the hill and I wanted to know more cuz you guys are clearly not from around here… you’re not, like, aliens or something are you?” The two seemed taken aback by his rambling, and the kid looked more and more annoyed.

“What makes you think you're worth his time?” The kid snapped and Levi shrugged, unafraid in the slightest.

“Never said I was, but I mean who are you to dictate what’s worth his time?” Levi cursed his brain to mouth filter as the kid tackled him to the ground. Levi held up his hands in surrender, though he winced as his head hit the ground hard. The other teen held a hand to his throat and growled.

“You better watch your mouth-”

“That's enough of that.” White hair and the teen both looked up in surprise as the stranger from before stepped out of the rippling air-water-thing. The teen didn’t move however and Levi started seeing spots in his vision.

“You can let him go, he’s behaved as expected.” Levi sucked in a deep breath and coughed as his throat was released. He looked up at the Commander appreciatively.

“You have a happy life here, and a family that loves you. Why did you choose to look for me?” Levi opened his mouth to answer and then paused. Why had he looked for him? The stranger was right, his life was good. So why had he… Levi shook his head. He knew why.

“I want to do more, to see more, to be more… My family is happy with the life we have but there’s always been a part of me that wanted more than just the life of a farmer.”

“Why not go to the cities then?”

“Because… because city life is dull as the farming life, the same repetitive motions just in a different place…”

“So why did you follow me? How do you know things will be different here?”

“I don’t,” Levi said honestly, but he smiled at the Commander, “but I’m willing to take that risk.”

“And are you willing to deal with the consequences that risk comes with?” The Commander’s voice was cold as he asked the question. Levi’s smile didn’t drop from his face even a bit as he nodded.

“I can do what needs to be done.” The Commander stared down at him with an unreadable expression before nodding, as if content with his answer.

“Very well. Conrad will escort you beyond the barrier, but after that you will be one your own until you prove yourself.” White-hair (Conrad? Boy I'm gonna forget that real quick…) and the other teen said nothing as the Commander re-entered the air-water (barrier he’d called it? These guys are definitely aliens) and the three of them followed after. Levi didn’t glance back.


End file.
